Jury duty phone scam targets Weld County

Posted on 11/02/2017

GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – The Weld County District Attorney’s Office is again reminding the public about phone scams targeting local citizens.

The latest scam involves the caller posing as a Sergeant Smith or Sergeant Anderson with the "Weld County Court Services Division." Residents are told they have a warrant for missing jury duty and must pay up to $500 in prepaid Visa cards to avoid arrest.

The phone number, which changes frequently, is valid and has an answering service, but investigators warn residents to not fall for this scam.

Weld County Courts do not demand payment over the phone and will never require fines be paid via prepaid debit cards.

“These age-old scams are constantly evolving, but they all share the same scheme,” said Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke. “The caller creates a sense of urgency and says you must pay or else. Don’t fall for it and become a victim.”

In the past two weeks, the D.A.’s office has received calls from more than seven residents detailing this latest scheme. Thankfully, those residents did not fall for the scam, and our office has not been made aware of any other victims.

If you receive this call or one similar, hang up and contact your local law enforcement agency. Bottom line: do not pay for fines over the phone, unless you know exactly which person or company you are dealing with.

Other tips to avoid being the victim of a phone scam:

1. Do not give out personal information over the phone, including your Social Security Number, driver license number or any other personally identifiable information if you don’t recognize the company, organization or account.

2. Pay court fines in person or via phone by calling the Weld County Court Collections Office directly at 970-475-2450.

3. If the caller demands payment via prepaid cards or wire transfer (Visa, Green Dot MoneyPak, iTunes cards, Western Union, etc), hang up the phone and do not pay. Call the company or organization directly if questions remain.